Learning Again
by Shadow of the Forgotten Ones
Summary: Gabriel wakes up far younger than he should be. Which is almost as unexpected as waking at all. Add in the fact that he isn't alone you have a confused Archangel. He doesn't know what is going on and he doesn't like what Metatron said. Surely the other Angel is joking- Right?
1. Waking Up- Gabriel

**AN: This story has been beta'd by the lovely pink. chocolate .unicorn and AJCorbie ((I hope I got your Username right love!)). After the first two chapters, things may become nonlinear but it may not at the same time depends on the muse. I hope you enjoy, the approximate of everyone will be down below.**

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When Gabriel goes into fight his big brother, he doesn't expect to survive. So when he closes his eyes- chest radiating pain- he doesn't think he will ever open them again. That being said, he is justifiably confused when he wakes up. His chest no longer hurts and he actually feels better than he has in years. The first thing that he sees, once he gets over the fact he is alive and breathing, is a soft brown blanket. He's using it as a pillow and it feels almost as good as resting on the wings of his brothers or sisters.

The delayed reaction to being alive is explained by the completely at-ease feeling that settles over him. Until he feels the grace of three other angels right next to him, along with the mingling souls of humans. It takes some focusing on the human souls to see that there are at least two and they are bright, as only children souls can be. Later he will chastise himself for not noticing the scars on them. He closes his eyes trying to enjoy not only being alive but the heat that comes from being close to others. It's been so long since he felt like this.

Idly he wiggles his toes, counting them along with his fingers and shifting his six wings. He can tell that his vessel is smaller than it should be, but, at this very moment it is a very small detail to him being alive. Apparently his old man still loves him enough to keep him from Death.

Once he has had enough of basking in the warmth, the comfort, the pure joy of being alive, he pushes himself up onto his knees so that he can look around. Later he will claim that Raphael is the first thing that he notices but that would be a lie. The first thing he notices is that the room is large, either that or he really is smaller than he should be. The squishy bed he is sitting on rolls with him as he looks around, finally spotting Raphael. It takes him a bit to place the young child with overly large chocolate brown wings. Memories of life before Lucifer's Fall flash into his mind. He backs away from those wings that he once rushed to and the dark skinned, small body they are attached to.

His gaze traces over every feather, carefully groomed to perfection showing Raphael's deep-seated and weary need for order. Gabriel shakes as he forcibly retracts his grace from the pulsing and searching grace of his older brother. Because along with memories of running to Raphael for comfort, for safety from the yelling, he remembers Raphael pushing him away to choose Michael, always Michael never him or Lucifer. Thus leaving him alone to weather the fight between the oldest two because he refused to pick a side. So he fights what no angel should, the comfort given by touching grace.

Raphael twitches, his grace following Gabriel's for the briefest of time before curling back into one large mass, the slight movement dislodges some of his long black hair so that it covers a portion of his face. Despite Gabriel's mixed feelings about the darker Archangel, the sight of his sleeping brother makes him ache for a time long gone. Desperate to run, as he always does, but not yet able to actually move; he lets his amber eyes dart about.

They land on something that warms his heart. Child versions of Balthazar and Castiel lay curled up in each other's arms. If it wasn't for their wings it would be difficult to tell where one started and the other ended and even with the wings it's a bit hard. Castiel's wings are dark gray to black with dark brown feathers streaked throughout the wing span and Balthazar's wings are a mixture of browns; from tan to the dark chocolate brown that make up Raphael's wings. Gabriel lets out a soft sound of awe that gets slightly louder when he follows the extended brown wing. Balthazar's wing cover the huddled forms of the Winchester brothers. He doesn't understand why they are all children, and if they are he probably is too, and he highly doubts that he will like the answer.

He reaches out with his grace, and his hands, to touch them. He was so sure that he would never see them again. He notes, in the back of his mind, that the size of his hands confirm that he is a child. Not that he cares, he uses them to pull the four of them away from Raphael. Dean twitches, even at a young age he is a light sleeper but Gabriel uses his grace to get him back into deep sleep. He pulls the blanket up and makes a nest as best as he can to keep the four younger ones warm and comfortable. _Children,_ he thinks first petting Castiel's hair and then Balthazar's, _are innocent and frail._ _T_ _he brightest and purest of all things._ _Even the damaged ones._ Part of him rejoices at having his little brothers be little again. But another part tells him he will hurt his precious brothers again, like he did before.

With a shaky breath, Gabriel looks back at Raphael. Surely they wouldn't be wherever they are if the end of days had happened and Michael got to have his last large hurrah with Lucifer. And if that is the case then Raphael isn't going to be the happiest camper. He wants to believe that Raphael wouldn't stoop low enough to take out his anger on those around him but Raphael, even when they were young, followed Michael's lead. And Michael liked to take his anger out on those around him.

Without realizing it, Gabriel spreads his six wings out, puffing them up to cover the nest. He only notices when he feels someone grab them. With a shocked jerk, he glances backward to see Dean's hand clutching at the feathers. Slowly, Gabriel extends one wing and watches in awe as the child reaches out and grabs it gently, bringing it to his mouth to suck on. Gabriel isn't the best at guessing human ages but he's pretty sure that humans stop sticking things in their mouth about the age Dean is now, maybe younger, but he can't bring himself to take his wing back. Especially when little Sammy follows his big brother's example and grabs a fist full of his feathers. Despite being the two biggest pains in the ass he has ever had to deal with they are undeniably adorable as they are now.

He's just gotten comfortable on the nest, in the best position to jump into a defensive pose over the four, when the yelling starts. It's loud and stupidly scary to him and he hates how his body starts to quiver. He can't feel any other grace but he knows those voices as well as he knows his own.

The yelling is almost identical to the final shouting matches before Lucifer's Fall and it reminds him how small he felt during them. Gabriel takes a deep breath, trying to center himself and get his mind back under his control. His vessel may be that of a child, but he is an Angel of the Lord and fear is not something he should be feeling so close to the surface. The sound of objects being thrown and broken, jars Raphael awake. Gabriel's back stiffens because he doubts his ability to protect the younger ones from three people all at once.

But Raphael just looks at him in mild confusion before the yelling gets louder and Raphael jumps into a protective crouch in front of Gabriel, who eyes the back of Raphael's head in doubt. Raphael is like Michael, and Michael has a temper just like their Father, but Raphael is also his big brother, and Angels have a deep-seated need to protect their young and Gabriel hopes that it is enough to keep Raphael from turning on him.

Gabriel flinches when the words "betrayer" and "traitor" are tossed about like candy. There is a loud crash and a loud wailing starts up. He reasons that it's Sam, since he is the youngest one the bed, and that Dean will take care of his brother. When the crying doesn't lessen and the yelling gets closer to the room that they are in Gabriel turns around. Only Sam isn't crying, though he looks close to it now that what he was sucking on is gone. Gabriel's heart stops when he realizes that Dean and Castiel are gone.

Until he sees the two in front of a crib that must contain the crying child. The Archangel opens his mouth, about to demand that they get on the bed, when the yelling outside stops and the door opens. It's one thing to hear their voices, it's quite another to see Michael and Lucifer enter the room. He takes them in; Lucifer is still wearing Nick, though he looks better than he has in a while. Michael is a mix between Adam and John. While they are older than the rest of them, they are still years younger than they should be. Gabriel's throat clogs with emotion and his chest flares up in remembered pain. Lucifer stabbed him, his big brother might as well have killed him.

"Oh fuck."

The young squeaky voice knocks Gabriel from his despair and he looks between the oldest two Archangels and Dean and Castiel. Raphael looks perturbed by the cuss word coming from a young child, but he stays in front of Gabriel instead of rushing to Michael's side as he expects the darker Angel to do. Chocolate brown wings spread out even further in an attempt to look scary and Gabriel adds his own tawny wings to the mix. He hears Dean and Castiel retrieve the baby and make it back up onto the bed.

Lucifer watches it all, his hands clenching and unclenching before he turns to Michael. The snarled words are Enochian and match the way black and blue wings are puffing up. Michael snarls back and it's just like before to Gabriel only... Somehow it's worse. Maybe it's because of the baby crying, maybe it's the way he can feel Sam and Dean's souls cry out in distress though neither of them vocalize it. He can tell that it is getting on Raphael's nerves when another one of the humans start to cry.

"Brother?"

Gabriel risks a glance back and sees Castiel looking at him with wide, relief filled blue eyes.

"You are alive."

"Of course, I am Cassie," he says aiming for levity but with crying kids in the background he fails, horribly. But Castiel gives him a small smile and he counts it as a win.

"For Father's sake, can someone shut up the crying babies?"

"They wouldn't be crying if you weren't such a bag of dicks," Dean snaps. Gabriel has to smile at the fierceness that Dean tries to convey and he is going to have to get the hunter to stop cussing because it just sounds wrong coming from his mouth now.

Predictably, Lucifer takes a step forward, though he halts and a look of hurt flashes across his face when Raphael hisses at him. The fallen Angel actually takes two steps back and tries to cover up the hurt with haughtiness.

"Really brother? Do you think you could protect them should I decide to harm them? Not that I would. Even I have standards."

"Somehow I don't believe you," Raphael says angrily.

There is a groan before Balthazar grumbles under his breath, "If this is the afterlife for Angels, it sucks."

Castiel flinches closer to Gabriel and he wonders what he missed if Balthazar thinks he's dead. There is movement behind him and the crying slowly comes to a stop. He glances behind him to see that Dean has collected pillows to add to the nest he made and the baby, Adam, is sucking on Dean's fingers while Sam has snuggled deep into his brother's side. Hesitantly, Castiel joins Dean, giving the thoroughly-unimpressed-with-life Balthazar a sad look.

Gabriel looks back at his older brothers, trying to overlook the longing on Lucifer's face before it gets covered up with a sneer.

"Not that this impromptu reunion isn't fun but what the hell is going on?" he asks.

Michael looks irritated at being spoken to in such a way and puffs up but before he can speak, there is a crash and a muttered curse. All heads turn toward the door. Lucifer sticks his head out to take a look before retreating further into the room a look of distaste on his face. A look that is soon mirrored by Dean and Castiel.

"Father damn it! I know that I am your voice but shouldn't Joshua be the one to do this?" There is a pause. "I was about to read something, if you must know. And clearly your idea of a get-along shirt failed epically if the hissy fit Luci was throwing earlier is any indication."

This time, the pause is longer and ends with a sigh. "No I am not doubting Father's knowledge, Joshua, just his timing. How many years have passed since- There is no need to take that tone with me, Gardener!"

Michael seems to be constipated as he glances over at Lucifer. "Metatron?"

The scraggly haired male that enters the room looking as if he is stepping into a room filled with rats raises an eyebrow at them.

"Yes it is I," he says in a deadpan voice, "now listen up because I have a message from daddy dearest and I'm not repeating it."

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 **The approximant ages of the babies who aren't really babies:**  
 **Michael- 18**  
 **Lucifer- 17**  
 **Raphael- 13**  
 **Gabriel- 11**  
 **Balthazar- 9**  
 **Castiel- 8**  
 **Dean- 7**  
 **Sam- 3**  
 **Adam is an actual baby**


	2. Father's Plan- Gabriel

**AN: And now to the second chapter! Ki guy I'm happy that you find this interesting and I hope it stays that way for you ^^ once more this chapter has been beta'd by the wonderful pink. chocolate. unicorn and soon AJCorbie unless once again my tech dumbness hasn't notice the edits she has sent me lol then it has in fact been beta's by her.**

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Gabriel watches as Lucifer puffs out his wings.

"You dare speak to us like that?" Lucifer asks with a sneer.

Michael rolls his eyes at the way Lucifer is acting even though he doesn't particularly care for Metatron either. "Your superiority complex is one of the many reasons Father started to love me more. That and I, unlike you, listen to him."

"No one asked you Michael," Lucifer snarls.

Metatron looks up at the ceiling and Gabriel knows he is asking Father _why? Why him?_

"And even you think that the humans are below us. Why else would you be so willing to destroy Earth?"

One of the humans whimpers and Gabriel feels his heart break. No noise like that should ever come from a child.

Metatron homes in on which ever one whimpered and he grins widely.

"Now look what you have done," he coos, "You've made the older one cry. Naughty, naughty. Now, I really do have a message for you. If you want to hear it, be silent. If not, you can be stuck here forever or maybe you'll anger him enough to send you back to the Cage... because you know how Father is with his wrath," he says dangerously and Dean lets out a strangled whine.

"And if that happens, your brothers will die again and little Adam will be forgotten once more. It's up to you, of course."

Both of the older Archangels quit their bickering and Gabriel sees their gazes jump to Balthazar and Castiel, automatically assuming that is was them that died, and they could have, Gabriel doesn't know. Apparently more time has passed then he knows about and that worries him.

Metatron nods to himself. "Good boys. Now _Daddy Deares_ t really doesn't like the fact that you two don't get along anymore. I mean, you nearly destroyed the one thing he wanted you to love more than him! So since you two fight worse than starving dogs over a bone, Father, in his great and infinite knowledge, has decided you need to relearn how to be a family! Isn't that grand?"

There is something in Metatron's tone that Gabriel doesn't like. The lower tier Angel has always been a bit... anti anyone-but-himself.

"And what better way then to get four of your brothers and three of the humans you so wrongly hurt? And then he thought, how do I make sure that you two stay here? Why I'll make everyone younger! Then they will surely stay to care for the younger ones. In finality, if you want out of here, at your proper ages, grace intact and lovely younger siblings still alive you have to keep them alive and learn to love each other," Metatron concludes with a clap.

Michael laughs and shakes his head. "Loving Lucifer has never been an issue," he says softly and with a slight sneer.

Lucifer and Gabriel scoff at the same time.

"What about the rest of us Mikey? Do you love us?" Gabriel asks, he shouldn't be egging on a fight but he can't help it. Michael always took the high ground, saying everything he did was meant with love but it never felt like it.

Michael looks insulted and Metatron looks interested in what is about to happen.

"How could you ask that? Of course, I do."

"Then you have a truly fucked up way of showing it," Gabriel mutters. "Why do you think I left? Why do you think so many others did?"

"Because you were cowards. You wouldn't fight even when it was what Father wanted."

"DO NOT CALL HIM THAT!"

Everything shakes at the volume of Lucifer's shout. The black winged Angel steps in front of the bed, his wings spread out once more. Raphael and Gabriel huddle together, the younger ones pressing into their backs at the sheer weight of Lucifer's anger.

"Just because Gabriel did not want to join your brainwashed group of sycophants that quivered with every word you said, every look you gave, does not mean he is a coward," Lucifer speaks lowly, his voice shaking as if he is fighting emotions. "You did not see him when he stood up to me. When it was clear that he would lose, that he could die, you did not see him fight and be struck down."

Michael looks away stiffly and Gabriel sucks in a deep breath trying not to cry.

Metatron clears his throat. "This is wonderful. Let's bring up all the faults, yes? While we talk about brothers striking down brothers, let's not forget about the war Raphael started."

Michael's head swings toward the bed so quickly that Gabriel is surprised it didn't snap.

"Started it up shortly after you two dropped into the Cage. How many of our brothers and our sisters did you smite, Raphael darling, when they sided with Castiel and the humans?" Metatron asks as if he doesn't know the answer. "Too many. And then there is Castiel himself. Released the Leviathan and killed Balthazar. Tsk, tsk."

Gabriel blinks in surprise and looks at Raphael. The dark skinned Archangel is looking down, shame weighing down his shoulders. From the corner of his eye, he sees Dean puffing up, a look he has, or had, come to associate with the elder Winchester planning on doing something stupid to take the heat off of someone else.

"Like you haven't done bad shit to your family," Dean snaps. "And if he really wants to fix up his family why did he bring us into this mess?"

Metatron rolls his eyes. "I realize that you were brought down to a child's emotional level, but I didn't think your intelligence was brought down as well... wait, this is your normal intelligence. I'm sure you have ears and therefore heard that I said that they wronged you? That they hurt you?" he simpers almost cruelly.

"After all, they are the reason that you lost the woman you started to see as a second mother aren't they? What about your little sisters? But clearly you care for no one but Sammy. Because if you did you would be happy that you have Adam back. Or were you content to let him rot, forgotten and tossed to the side, in the Cage? After all, Adam's body wasn't destroyed like Jimmy's body was. He didn't get a ride to heaven before Sam dragged all of them down."

"Enough! Why are you purposely striking out at us?" Michael snarls.

Metatron smirks. "To show you that even though they remember everything, they still react as a child would. Look at them. They are crying."

"I see their tears. Have you said all you needed to say?"

"So impatient. Knowing that they have the limitations of the children their bodies make them look like, do you think you can care for them along with learning to love Lucifer as you once did? Do you think you can keep harm from all of them? You are the oldest Michael and should any harm come to them, by your hand or some cruel incident of fate it is. All. On. You. Even Lucifer, though he is just a year younger."

"I understand. Now leave!"

Metatron sarcastically salutes Michael and with a blink of an eye, he disappears. Gabriel wipes at the tears that are streaming down his face. _This is stupid_ , he thinks as he watches Michael run his hands through his hair. Lucifer is watching him almost boredly, though his eyes keep darting over to the bed. When Michael makes no move to go near the bed Lucifer grunts and comes to sit on the very corner. Both Gabriel and Raphael stare at him in distrust.

Their staring contest is broken by a quiet question. "Guys... I can see your wings... Why can I see your wings?" Dean's voice is shaky. Gabriel wonders if the kid even realized that he had been sucking on his feathers earlier like they were a pacifier.

Lucifer looks over at Dean and smiles a smile Gabriel hasn't seen since he was an actual child.

"Father probably has something to do with that. Much like he had a hand in making it to where I don't feel like I am burning through this vessel."

Slowly Lucifer reaches out a hand, his grace is wrapped tight around his vessel, and gently touches Gabriel's face and then Raphael's face. Both Archangel's grace tentatively reach out to Lucifer. They haven't forgiven him, but the desire to be close to him is large. He is their older brother, he helped banish nightmares of their Aunt from their minds. He is Lucifer. And just as slowly as he touched the Archangel's he pulls them into his lap and reaches for Balthazar and Castiel. Dean watches him, watches Michael, watches everything wearily.

"So much has happened hasn't it?" Lucifer asks. Raphael sniffles and nods his head.

Michael looks over at the bed. "I would say so. Raphael started a war."

"Was that not what we were going to do?"

"Between Demons and Angels. Raphael killed our siblings."

"They were going against what you said. They thought we should just let you stay in the Cage! They betrayed us and sided with the humans," Raphael cries out.

"The humans deserve the chance to live, not all of them are bad," Castiel mutters but Raphael ignores him, trying to get Michael to look at him. The oldest just shakes his head and leaves the room.

"This is just fucked up. He can't expect us to just become a happy family... can he?" Dean asks from his place on the bed. He hasn't moved closer to Lucifer, despite him being covered in little Angels.

"If this is His plan then yes he expects us to do as He said. And while I am all for voicing your opinion in what ever way you think is best, please stop cussing."

"Fuck you."

"This is going to take forever," Lucifer groans right as Adam starts to cry again.


	3. Can I Do This?- Michael

**AN: Michael's POV. Hope I did okay with him. So far the story has been going rather linear, and I'm taking my time to make sure it comes out well which is why it takes a bit between chapters. I'm trying new things with each chapter and I hope you are enjoying them. This fic is beta'd by two people: the lovely pink. chocolate. unicorn and the lovely AJCorbie ((though I don't think she's had a chance to over this chapter. Unless my tech uselessness kicked in again. When she does I'll change it up to add in her comments.**

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Michael stalks out of the room. Why in Father's name did he agree to protect them? What made him think he could keep his temper in check with five brothers and three humans? It had to be that cursed Metatron. He made him feel emotions he hasn't had to deal with since Castiel and Samandiriel were Nestlings. And he didn't even have anything to do with those two!

The moment that he steps out of the room, he loses contact with the grace of his brothers and the souls of the three humans. It throws him off for a second, but he pushes through it and stalks down the stairs. There is something off about the house, something he can't put his finger on. His grace and his wings shake slightly and that is when he realizes that his grace is muffled. That it is constricted. Michael feels his grace flare in anger and he fights the urge to punch a wall.

Why is Father so angry at him!? He had followed Father's orders had he not? He had bowed to the humans. He had respected them enough to let them live when their imperfections should have condemned them to death. He had been ready to fight Lucifer, to punish him once more for his disobedience. He had fought Lucifer. So, why be angry? He loved his brothers. Yes, he was heavy handed, but that did not mean he did not love them.

He growls low in his throat. His circular thoughts solve nothing. Instead of staying in his despair, he investigates the house that does not require him to go back upstairs. The first floor contains a front room, bath room, kitchen/dining room, a laundry room and a study; the names of the rooms pulling up memories from the time he inhabited Adam. The kitchen has a large set of french doors but they refuse to open when he tries. The same thing happens when he tries to open the front door.

With an irritated sigh, he slumps down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. He runs his hands through his short black hair and closes his eyes. The house isn't small, but he has a feeling that he will get stir crazy should he be forced to stay within the house. He looks up at the ceiling and wonders if they are expected to share a room or if he can claim his own. If it was just his brothers, he might have been able to handle sharing a room, but with three humans he thinks his patience would run out.

With another growl, he lays his head on the table. Is he really so horrible of a big brother that his siblings would run from him? Is he really the reason that Gabriel fled? And what about the war that Metatron says Raphael and Castiel started. Siblings killing siblings, was that the example he and Lucifer set for them? What had they missed while in hell? Frustrated tears start to leak out of his eyes and he gives in to the urge to hit something, slamming his fist into the table.

Stagnation, frustration, isolation, these are not things that he deals with easily. He is used to doing, to acting and having results. With a deep breath, he stands and goes back up the stairs. Father says to be a family again, so a family he will make. For Father's orders are absolute. No matter how he feels about this. With another shoulder shaking deep breath, he goes back into the room with his brothers. He can do this for Father, he can.

The sound of crying greets his ears and he regrets coming back. Lucifer seems close to bolting from the room so Michael forces himself to remain. Dean gives them all calculating looks and Michael sees the young human dismissing him and Lucifer from what ever is going on in that mind. The fact that he cannot read Dean's thoughts a clear indicator that not all is the same. They may have their grace back and 'intact' as Metatron said but it is not free flowing.

"Does this joint have a kitchen?"

"Yes."

"Good. Is it stocked?"

"I..." Michael trails off. He had not thought to check the cabinets in the kitchen.

"You don't know. Damn. Let's hope it is. Cause if it's not, you big bag of dicks are going to have to poof shit in."

Dean scoots to the edge of the bed, curling his lip when Raphael goes to stop him. "Adam's diaper isn't wet, the yelling has stopped so that's not why he's crying and he's not rubbing his eyes like he's tired. That means he's hungry, stopping me from feeding him won't make him stop crying so hands off dickwad," Dean says slowly as if speaking to an invalid.

"Father have patience, please stop with the cussing."

"Fuck you, Luci."

Michael frowns. "Dean Alexander Winchester there is no need for you to be so antagonistic toward us. We are stuck here the same as you," he states moving toward the boy.

Dean growls.

"No need to be antagonistic, the asshat says like he isn't one of the main reasons so much shit as happened. Fuck off man, I can take care of my brothers and myself without your help."

"You shouldn't have to," Castiel whispers and Dean flinches. Michael watches as Castiel detaches from Lucifer and crawls over to Dean. The two younger boys stare at each other, Castiel placing his hand on Dean's arm. "At least let me help you."

"Fine, you can help," Dean says after a while.

"Gabe?" Sam speaks up. Michael had almost forgotten about him, the boy had been so quiet.

Dean squints at Gabriel and nods.

"Sure Sammy he can help too. Now that that is settled I need to get a bottle for Adam."

Michael rolls his eyes at the shear stubbornness Dean possess and finishes walking to the bed where he picks Dean up, grabbing him awkwardly, and sets him down on the floor.

"Don't do that you idiot! What if I had dropped Adam? Or you had dropped me? Jesus fucking Christ on a bike. Cass, can you help Sammy down from the bed?"

Dean continues to berate Michael under his breath, leaving the Archangel confused. He isn't sure why what he did was wrong. He had a strong grip on Dean and would not have dropped the human and should Dean have dropped Adam it would be easy to catch the Nestling with his wings.

Lucifer, still clinging to Raphael and Balthazar, watches as Gabriel moves away to help Castiel get Sam safely to the floor. He laughs softly when, in an attempt to help Dean again, Michael gets kicked.

"I know how to hold a baby, don't touch him!"

"Don't laugh," Michael snaps at Lucifer, irritated. The group of five quickly leave the room. This is going to take forever if the humans don't cooperate with him. It is not as if he means them harm! The apocalypse was stopped and diverted, the vessel he is in now is not burning away so he has no reason to want to hurt them! Why is Dean being so distrustful!? They are Angels of the Lord, and yet Dean is treating them like Demons.

"Gaining the Winchester's trust is a hard thing to do with a rather blank slate," Balthazar says with a snort, "You are going to have your work cut out for you."

Balthazar pauses thoughtfully.

"Think this place has any wine?"

"Even if it did you would not get any!"

"Pity."


	4. Feeling Green- Sam

**AN: This story is beta'd by two brilliant people who are willing to deal with my rough drafts. They aren't the prettiest things in the world. Thank you, pink. chocolate. unicorn and AJCorbie. Now there is some debate on whether or not Castiel's nickname is Cas or Cass. I personally jump from one to the other, never in the same story of course. This is what the wiki has to say about it: "The show's writers spell the nickname "Cass" in scripts source, and it also appears that way in Tie-in novels and the Official Companion books. It is spelled Cass in the Season 7 promo, the promo for the sixth episode of Season 8 and also for the promo of the eighteenth episode of Season 9. On the Season 4 DVD the English subtitles call him "Cass" and other times it is "Cas." I will be consistent in my usage and if I do slip up feel free to point it out. I am so not anywhere near perfect.**

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Sam looks down at Adam who is sleeping soundly in his crib. He knows that Dean will freak if he wakes up and catches him standing on a chair but he had to make sure that Adam is still here, that the past three days haven't been so weird dream. They forgot about Adam, they left him in the Cage. Sam's heart twists the more he thinks about it.

Dean once told him when he was ten sheets to the wind that Death gave him a choice of one or the other. ' _I don't regret saving you Sammy, I just wish I could have saved him too. Just proving what he thought of us.'_ His brother was so broken about it, just like he broke over every death he thought he caused.

They have a second chance with Adam and his brother is taking advantage of it. Jealousy rises in Sam's chest; normally, it's him who has Dean's undivided attention. Dean is _his_. He doesn't like sharing. But... he learned to share Dean with Cass, he can learn to share with his half-brother, right?

Sam sucks on his bottom lip, his tiny hands gripping the top bar of the crib. Why is sharing Dean with Adam so much harder than it is with Cass? Adam's eyes flutter open, face crinkling up like he's about to cry and Sam panics a bit.

"Shhh. No cry. No cry Sammy here," he coos, internally cursing how what he wants to say comes out. Tiny little hands reach out toward him, opening and closing in the universal 'gimme' gesture. Sam's not sure what Adam wants but he lets go of the crib with one hand and stretches it out toward Adam. It doesn't work, he can't reach, and frustration builds in him until he tries between the bars. Sam smiles as Adam grabs his hand and starts to suck on it.

Out of all of them, Adam probably has it worst. He can't talk, he can't walk, he can't even use the bathroom like he used to, at least Sam can do those things even if it's harder for him to do so.

"You hungry, Adam?"

Adam sucks on his finger harder.

"Sammy? Whatcha doing kiddo?"

It's awkward looking over his shoulder but he manages. Gabriel is looking at him, his hands on his hips, there is a knowing look on his face.

"Adam hungry."

"Ah, so it's your turn to feed the kidlet." Gabriel nods his head playfully and steps up to the crib. He picks Sam up and moves him to the floor causing Adam to whine softly.

"None of that now. I'm getting you next. No need to wake your other brother, he's finally in a deep sleep."

Sam is a bit surprised when Adam stops whining.

"That's what I thought. Now, I'm not as pretty as either of your brothers but I wager I can make a mean bottle. I've watched Dean-o do it enough," Sam hears the Archangel mutter under his breath as he pushes down the part of the crib that Sam was using to hold his weight and picks up Adam.

They sneak downstairs, trying not to wake up anyone else. Dean is sound asleep, surrounded by Cass and Balthazar. Raphael is sleeping alone at the other side of the bed, his wings twitching. Sam bets he isn't really sleeping- or resting his grace as Michael phrased the sleep like motions the younger Angels do. Sam isn't sure where Lucifer is but he doesn't really care.

Three days isn't enough time to forgive the fallen Angel and he isn't sure if he can forgive Lucifer. The things that happened in the Cage and out of it make it very hard for him to trust either of the older Angels and the only thing that helps him trust Gabriel is that Gabriel helped them in the end.

"Hey there, kiddo, no deep thoughts," Gabriel says, breaking him from his thoughts, "Don't want the smoke detector to go off, do you?"

Sam looks up at Gabriel, his brows pinching together and lips scrunching down in a frown. The Archangel laughs softly, shaking his head.

"Even young you have the famed bitch face. Good to know."

Adam whines, reminding them why they are in the kitchen in the first place. Sam toddles over to the fridge, his steps unsure, and his hands reaching out to hold on to things. He finds it ridiculous that he has this much trouble walking, surely walking hadn't been this hard the first time around. Behind he hears Gabriel laugh at him- the jerk- but he ignores it and pulls out one of the pre-made bottles.

Thankfully the fridge isn't hard to get into and the bottles are on a lower shelf. It had been a pleasant surprise to find out that the house was stocked with everything they would need and whenever they used something it was replaced. The microwave is just out of reach for his arms but Gabriel is behind him to stick it in for Sam.

"So, you wanna tell me why you were standing over Adam- the real reason?" Gabriel asks as they watch the bottle go round and round. Sam shakes his head. Gabriel hums.

"You know I was the youngest at first right?"

Sam glances at Gabriel from the corner of his eye. He doesn't know where the other is going with this.

"When everything started I was the youngest. Most bibles even like to say I wasn't even an Archangel. Anyways, when the others popped up, I wasn't anymore. I didn't like it. Mikey, Luci, Raph, they were mine ya know? But then this little squirt of an Angel came up to me and called me big brother and I-" Gabriel stops talking and shakes his head, "I was lost. Didn't care that I had to share them anymore."

The microwave beeps and Gabriel takes the bottle out shaking it. Sam keeps him from sticking it into Adam's mouth right away.

"Check," he scolds.

Gabriel does so with a small smile, though it is awkward and painful looking. Now assured that the liquid won't scald or burn his baby brother's mouth, he lets Gabriel feed Adam. Sam watches Adam eat, his head tilted and a thoughtful look on his face. _I'm a big brother now,_ he thinks. Adam is shifted and burped, the noise making Sam's nose scrunch up.

They go back upstairs, Sam holding onto Gabriel and Gabriel making sure not to leave Sam behind. Sam trusts Gabriel enough to put Adam back in his crib so he crawls onto the bed- it's tricky but getting up is a bit easier than down- and forces his way into Dean's arms. The two Angels make it easier by moving when they feel him touch them and Sam refuses to think about why the cuddle piles feel so good.

Instead, he thinks about Adam and how things could have been different if John had settled down with Adam's mom. He thinks about how things would have been different if the two had joined them on hunts. Would he still have wanted to leave for college? Would John still have treated them like soldiers? Would Jess still be alive? Who would have died instead?

He sniffles slightly trying not to cry and failing. Though, the tears are stopped when Dean's arms tighten around him protectively, and he decides that it doesn't matter. It's in the past, all that matters is letting Adam know he's loved. All that matters is they have a chance to change his mind about them. To show him that they care. Sam smiles, rubbing his cheek against Dean, body relaxing in sleep. Maybe, for once in their lives they would be able to be happy.


End file.
